Utility blade holder



R. E. REISE 2,784,489

UTILITY BLADE HOLDER Filed March 10, 1954 March 12, 1957 f gi Jeflayman y United States Patent O UTLITY BLADE HOLDER Raymond E. Reise, Union, N. J.

Application March 10, 1954, Serial No. 415,243

2 Claims. (Cl. 30151) This invention relates to a hand holder for utility blades used by craftsmen and others for cutting rooting materials, linoleum, and the like. More specifically, it deals with a blade holder which has a forwardly movable guard for protecting the blade when it is not in use. Provision also is made for ready adjustment of the blade projection, convenient replacement of the blade, accessible storage space for extra blades, and other valuable features.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 depicts a top view of a preferred embodiment. A partially cut away side view of the device, with guard extended to protect the blade, is depicted in Figure 2, while Figure 3 is a similar view showing the guard retracted to expose the blade for use. The reverse of Figure 2 in side view, partially cut away to illustrate the blade storage means, is presented in Figure 4. Figure 5 is a cross sectional view of the unit along line 5-5 in Fig. 2, while Figure 6 shows a side view of the guard for the blade.

Referring again to the drawing, numeral 1 represents the housing or handle of the device shaped to t the hand when grasped and held therein. This housing, at the forward or working end, has a rectangular cavity 8 defined by top portion 2 and side portions 3 and 4, within which guard 5 is adapted to ride by sliding in or out.

Guard 5 comprises a rectangular shaped piece 6 having a blunt nose-shaped forward end 7, said guard fitting into cavity 8 and riding in sliding relation therein. Guard 5 is side-grooved and has a smaller` rectangular shaped recess 9 into which ts blade 10 and, since the recess extends through the front portion 11 of guard 5, the blade can project forwardly out of the guard as shown in Figure 3. A rectangular shaped at cover piece 12 ts snugly over blade and flush with side portions 13 of guard 5 (Fig. 4). Elongated opening 14 in guard 5 is cut entirely through and disposed in the upper portion of guard 5 and in register with a similar cut-out or slot 15 in top edge of cover plate 12. A protrusion or nger knob 16 is provided on the rear bottom portion of guard 5 to facilitate the sliding of guard 5 in cavity 8 of holder or housing 1 by means of the lingers. Blade 10 is inserted between guard 5 and cover plate 12.

Bolt 17 penetrates side 3 of housing 1 and also passes through opening 14 of the guard and open eut-out or slot in the cover plate and also through side 4 of the housing, and terminates with a nut 18 to which is attached lever 19 for easy turning of the nut which serves to lock guard 5 in place by pressure from sides 3 and 4. The upper edge of blade` 10 has a series of semicircular 2,784,489 Patented Mar. 12, 1957 slots or grooves 21 into one of which bolt 17 can fit, depending on the amount of projection desired of blade 10 from guard 5 when in working position. An olfset semicircular recess 20 is provided in the upper edge of opening 14 of guard 5 so that bolt 17 may be moved into this recess by vertical movement of guard 5 when it is desired to remove blade 10 from the guard. This allows the blade to clear the bolt which then rests in recess 20. Otherwise bolt 17 would act as a stop or limiting means for the blade.

lt will be noted that when guard 5 is pulled back by means of tap or projection 16, as in Figure 3, bolt 17 prevents blade 10 from moving, thereby causing exposure of the blade and positioning it for the cutting operation. To shield the blade, tab 16 is moved forwardly which causes guard 5 to slide over blade 10 (which remains stationary), placing the device in the condition shown in Figures l, 2 and 4.

The rear portion of housing 1 can hold. recess 22 into which spare blades 23 may be stored. This recess may be covered by cover 24 which may be provided with a snap lock 25. The device of the present invention may be made of metal, such as iron or aluminum, or of impact resistant plastic, such as phenol formaldehyde resin, polyester-glass laminate, and the like.

it is possible to provide a projection 27 (Figure 6) extending from the rear of the upper portion of guard 5 which would ride in a complementary groove 28 in the body or housing portion. This would eliminate any tendency on the part of the guard to move vertically.

l claim:

l. A utility blade holder adapted to be used with a blade having an upper edge provided with an engagement slot and comprising a body portion shaped to tit into the gripped hand and having a cavity therein open at the bottom and at the forward end of said body, a guard portion fitting into and slidably disposed within said cavity, said guard portion having finger engaging means on the bottom thereof, a groove cut into the side of said guard portion between the upper and lower edges thereof and extending through the front thereof, a removable cover plate adapted to iit Hush into said groove after the blade is inserted therein, a stationary bolt penetrating the sides of the body and arranged to pass through the engagement slot in the blade, and an elongated opening penetrating the upper portion of said cover plate and said guard portion at the edge of said groove and adapted to house a portion of said bolt therein as said guard portion and cover plate are pushed in or out of said cavity by means of said finger engaging means.

2. A utility blade holder according to claim l in which said elongated opening has a connectable recess disposed above the forward part thereof, thereby making it possible to slide said guard portion thereon to disengage said blade.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 705,441 Putney July 22, 1902 936,592 Wilson Oct. 12, 1909 1,449,408 Hull Mar. 27, 1923 1,502,627 Hammond July 22, 1924 l2,512,237 Mravik June 20, 1950 2,679,100 Ehler May 25, 1954 

